He is now urging parents to trust their gut and risk “looking like an idiot” after 4-week-old Megan was diagnosed with life-threatening sepsis and put in a three-day coma.
The 45-year-old said trusting his gut, even when others might have laughed at him for being a nervous new dad, saved his baby girl’s life. Stu, a service engineer from Burnley, Lancashire, said: “I know all babies cry, I’m not stupid.
“But I sensed something was different. I wanted a doctor to check her over. I would rather look an idiot and know my daughter is okay.
“It's a good job I trusted my gut, because in a matter of minutes, she was rushed from casualty to Manchester Children's Hospital with sepsis.
“It was touch and go, but our daughter is well and healthy, after the fantastic staff and our quick thinking to have her checked out.
“Don’t be scared of visiting your doctors or local hospital, because you never know.”
The father-of-three added that he was immediately concerned when he got in from work on June 11, 2016, because Megan was sobbing in a way he hadn’t heard before.
When she was born at Burnley General, less than a month earlier, weighing a healthy 8lb 6oz, she’d been the picture of health – but hearing her wailing he was uneasy.
When his wife Tracy Bonsall, 44, a dog groomer, told him she had been like that for a few hours, his fears increased.
The couple drove four miles to Burnley General Hospital – despite knowing that taking a newborn baby to casualty because they were crying sounded a little overcautious.
But when they arrived at the hospital, Megan was swiftly taken to a private room.
“We were told she was seriously ill and she was being put in an induced coma,” said Stu. “It was terrifying.
“Then, doctors said she was being taken to the bigger Manchester Children’s Hospital.
“We were to travel behind her ambulance by car. We were told, even if the ambulance pulled over on the way, not to stop.
“It made me think she was going to die before she got there.”
At MCH, she was taken to neonatal intensive care, where a series of tests were carried out.
Soon after, she was diagnosed with sepsis, a life-threatening condition where the body’s response to infection causes injury to its own tissues and organs.
To this day the Bonsalls don’t know how their girl developed sepsis, although it is most commonly caused by an infection.
Put on intravenous drips, the nervous couple were told to wait and see what happened.
But the results were alarming.
Stu recalled: “Suddenly, because of all the drugs they were feeding her, she was double her size.
“It was awful to see, but we just hoped she would get better.”
After three days, Megan was brought out of the coma and was allowed home a week later.
Luckily, she suffered no long-lasting effects and is now a happy, healthy 12-month-old baby.
Meanwhile, Stu will be forever grateful that he acted when he did.
“I’d tell all parents to go to the doctor if they are worried,” he said. “I could so easily have done nothing – fearing I’d be told I was over-reacting.
"But my actions saved Megan’s life. I will never regret that, I would advise all worried parents to visit their hospital. It could save your baby’s life.”
“But I sensed something was different. I wanted a doctor to check her over. I would rather look an idiot and know my daughter is okay.
“It's a good job I trusted my gut, because in a matter of minutes, she was rushed from casualty to Manchester Children's Hospital with sepsis.
“It was touch and go, but our daughter is well and healthy, after the fantastic staff and our quick thinking to have her checked out.
“Don’t be scared of visiting your doctors or local hospital, because you never know.”
The father-of-three added that he was immediately concerned when he got in from work on June 11, 2016, because Megan was sobbing in a way he hadn’t heard before.
When she was born at Burnley General, less than a month earlier, weighing a healthy 8lb 6oz, she’d been the picture of health – but hearing her wailing he was uneasy.
When his wife Tracy Bonsall, 44, a dog groomer, told him she had been like that for a few hours, his fears increased.
The couple drove four miles to Burnley General Hospital – despite knowing that taking a newborn baby to casualty because they were crying sounded a little overcautious.
But when they arrived at the hospital, Megan was swiftly taken to a private room.
“We were told she was seriously ill and she was being put in an induced coma,” said Stu. “It was terrifying.
“Then, doctors said she was being taken to the bigger Manchester Children’s Hospital.
“We were to travel behind her ambulance by car. We were told, even if the ambulance pulled over on the way, not to stop.
“It made me think she was going to die before she got there.”
At MCH, she was taken to neonatal intensive care, where a series of tests were carried out.
Soon after, she was diagnosed with sepsis, a life-threatening condition where the body’s response to infection causes injury to its own tissues and organs.
To this day the Bonsalls don’t know how their girl developed sepsis, although it is most commonly caused by an infection.
Put on intravenous drips, the nervous couple were told to wait and see what happened.
But the results were alarming.
Stu recalled: “Suddenly, because of all the drugs they were feeding her, she was double her size.
“It was awful to see, but we just hoped she would get better.”
After three days, Megan was brought out of the coma and was allowed home a week later.
Luckily, she suffered no long-lasting effects and is now a happy, healthy 12-month-old baby.
Meanwhile, Stu will be forever grateful that he acted when he did.
“I’d tell all parents to go to the doctor if they are worried,” he said. “I could so easily have done nothing – fearing I’d be told I was over-reacting.
"But my actions saved Megan’s life. I will never regret that, I would advise all worried parents to visit their hospital. It could save your baby’s life.”
See photos of the baby in cuma below..
Only if all fathers and parents can be this loving and understanding.
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